One year after demonstrating 4-component carrier aggregation (4CC) on the 5G Standalone (SA) downlink and simultaneous 2CC CA on the 5G SA uplink, Nokia and BT Group have announced the successful aggregation of 5G Standalone (SA) spectrum using 5CC Carrier Aggregation (5CC CA), making the UK’s leading telecommunications operator the first European operator to achieve what it calls the milestone achievement.
The crux of this achievement, according to the two companies, is that they are now able to further improve the performance of device-to-network connections by increasing throughput and capacity. In fact, the companies say that 5CC CA will significantly boost the data rates available to customers in high-demand areas by combining all of the mid-band radio spectrum when 5G SA devices need high-speed connections.
It is also believed that when 5G SA devices require high-speed connectivity, the combination of all the mid-band radio spectrum will significantly increase the data rates available to customers in high-demand areas.
The tests were conducted in the field on live network spectrum at BT Group’s research and development headquarters, Adastral Park, using devices powered by Nokia’s 5G AirScale portfolio and Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF system. Downlink speeds of 1.85 Gbps were achieved using three FDD carriers, NR2600 (30MHz), NR2100 (20MHz) and NR1800 (20MHz), integrated with two TDD carriers, NR3600 (40+40MHz), with a total bandwidth of 150 MHz.
The technology is due to launch on BT Group-owned EE’s 5G SA network later this year, and will reportedly take advantage of lower-frequency sixth carriers to deliver a better experience in more places, including indoors.
Greg McCall, BT Group Chief Network Officer, said: “This latest milestone, achieved in collaboration with Nokia and Qualcomm Technologies, enhances 5G SA performance as we work towards our network launch, further leveraging the benefits of carrier aggregation to deliver even higher throughput and speeds to our customers.”
“This is especially important as more and more devices with 5CC CA capabilities appear on the market. With that in mind, we are focused on making the most of our spectrum assets to deliver the best experience to our customers.”
Mark Atkinson, senior vice president and head of RAN at Nokia, added: “This successful trial with our long-standing partner BT is another great example of Nokia’s clear leadership in 5G carrier aggregation technology. Multi-component carrier aggregation will help mobile operators get the most out of their radio network assets and deliver the best 5G data rates to their subscribers in more places.”
“Qualcomm Technologies is committed to pushing the boundaries of 5G connectivity,” said Dino Furore, vice president of technology for Qualcomm Europe. “The Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF System is designed to unlock the full potential of 5G, delivering unmatched speed, efficiency and capacity for networks and their users.”
“We are proud to work with Nokia and the BT Group to play a key role in delivering this enhanced 5G experience to European consumers.”
